Democrats feeling strapped for cash as they prepare to ramp up their political campaigns for 2012. This scandal could put candidates at a serious disadvantage as they scramble to raise funds…

Prisons are also low on funds. This coming Saturday, October 1, California will switch to a new prison strategy, known as realignment, which could mean less jail time for nonviolent offenders and lower operating costs for the state. Prisons will now look to local communities for help with criminal rehabilitation...

Local healthcare providers are looking to tighten their budgets by cutting benefits for nurses, which prompted the nursing union to hold a 24-hour strike last week. In retaliation, medical provider Sutter Health refused to let their nurses return to work for the following five days; during this lockout period, a cancer patient died because of an alleged medical error. Though details of the death have not yet been disclosed, the locked-out nurses are calling it murder. In response, the hospital says it was a tragic accident that could have happened under any nurse’s watch…

Growing lines at local food banks reflect the latest national poverty statistics. The San Francisco Food Bank has increased its service rate by 70 percent since 2008. In neighborhoods like the Mission, food banks have had to learn to provide food that appeals to people from diverse ethnic backgrounds…

The University of California increased tuition by 18 percent this year, leading more students to seek loans from financial aid offices. Starting this year, U.C. schools will receive the majority of their money from tuition instead of the government, and financial aid offices are struggling to keep up with the rising demand.

Connecting the Dots for Monday, September 26

The September 2nd arrest on embezzlement charges of campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee has Democrats feeling strapped for cash as they prepare to ramp up their political campaigns for 2012. This scandal could put candidates at a serious disadvantage as they scramble to raise funds…

Prisons are also low on funds. This coming Saturday, October 1, California will switch to a new prison strategy, known as realignment, which could mean less jail time for nonviolent offenders and lower operating costs for the state. Prisons will now look to local communities for help with criminal rehabilitation…

Local healthcare providers are looking to tighten their budgets by cutting benefits for nurses, which prompted the nursing union to hold a 24-hour strike last week. In retaliation, medical provider Sutter Health refused to let their nurses return to work for the following five days; during this lockout period, a cancer patient died because of an alleged medical error. Though details of the death have not yet been disclosed, the locked-out nurses are calling it murder. In response, the hospital says it was a tragic accident that could have happened under any nurse’s watch…

Growing lines at local food banks reflect the latest national poverty statistics. The San Francisco Food Bank has increased its service rate by 70 percent since 2008. In neighborhoods like the Mission, food banks have had to learn to provide food that appeals to people from diverse ethnic backgrounds…

The University of California increased tuition by 18 percent this year, leading more students to seek loans from financial aid offices. Starting this year, U.C. schools will receive the majority of their money from tuition instead of the government, and financial aid offices are struggling to keep up with the rising demand.